Shoe-lace fastener.



F. 1. KOHLHAAS; SHOE LACE FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1. I917.

Patented May 21,1918.

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ill l FRANK J. KoHLHAAs, or CALUMET, MICHIGAN.

SHOE-LACE FASTENER.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1918.

Application filed December 1, 1917. Serial No. 204,973.

, ments in Shoe-Lace Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being made to theaccompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to fasteners for the laces of a shoe employing strings or laces to hold the uppers snugly about the ankle, and the objects of my invention are, among other things, to provide a simple and effective fastening device which ispreferably attached to the center of the upper portion of the tongue of the shoe in alinement with the top eyelet-s or hooks of the shoe, which device shall not only hold the laces in looped position as is customary when the laces are secured in a bow-knot, but also act to maintain the tongue of the shoe in its proper place between the adjacent edges of the upper at all times. Furthermore my improved fastener efi'ects a saving in the length of the shoe laces which cannot become knotted or tangled, nor are such looped laces worn or frayed when held in place bymy fastener which is extremely simple in construction and can be readily attached to the tongues of shoes at a slight cost.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of portions of a shoe upper and tongue equipped with my improved device; i

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, 8 and 9 indicate the two adjacent front por- Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view with tions of the upper of a shoe having vertical rows ofleyelets 10 and 11V respectively along their adjacent edges; 12 is the shoe tongue which is arranged between and beneath the upper portions 8 and 9 and is attachedto the shoe in the usual manner (not shown). 13 and 14 are the shoe laces having the looped ends15 and 16 respectively. In the upper central portion of the tongue 12 I'se-' curely aiiix in any suitable manner the base member 17 of my fastening device which in the present embodiment comprises the under plate 18 and the top plate 19 secured to the tongue 12 arranged therebetween by rivets 20 as shown in Fig. 4. Projecting upwardly at right angles from the top plate 19 is the lower clasp member 21 extending in substantial parallelism with the length of the shoe tongue 12 as shown in Fig. 1. The clasp member 21 is preferably formed at one end, as shown in cross-section in Fig. 4', so as to provide arounded beaded top 22; at the opposite end the hinged clip member 23, preferably made of spring steel, is pivotally secured or hinged at 24: so that its outer end is vertically movable to and from the beaded top 22 as shown in Fig. 2; such outer end of the clip member 28 is formed with two do pendent resilient fianges 25 and 26, each being bent inwardly as shown in Figs. 2 and 4:, and adapted to engage with the top 22 when in lace-holding position. The clip member 23 is raised from its locking engagement with the beaded top 22 by the projecting lug 27 preferably integral therewith. 28 and 29 are oppositely disposed cut out portions formed in the lower clasp member 21 and upper clip member 23 respectively, between which the looped lace ends 15 and 16 are placed in bow form as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cut-out portions being so shaped as to make an elongated opening for the laces to pass through. 3

In Figs. 5, 6 and 7.1 have shown a modified form of my fastener which also embodies my invention. The lower clasp member 30 is made U-shaped in cross-section as shown in Fig. and may be secured to the shoe tongue 12 by rivets through holes 31 in the same manner as the plates 18 and 19 (Fig. 4:). At one end the clasp member 30 is made with outwardly curved spring flanges 32 and 33; at the opposite end the top clip member 3 1, preferably made of spring steel, is pivotally secured or hinged by the pin 35 so as to be vertically movable by the projecting lug 36 integrally formed in-its outer end, as shown'in Figs. '6 and 7. Theclip member 3a is preferably constructed with an inverted U-shape in cross' secf tion, as shown in Fig. 7 with dependent resilient fl'anges'37 and 38 adapted to be engaged by, and coact with, the flanges 32 and 33 respectively in lace-holding position. 39 and 40 are oppositely-disposed cut-out portions formed in the lower clasp member 30 and top clip member 34 respectively, be tween which the looped lace ends 15 and 16 may be placed preparatory to their being held in lockingengagement by'my fastener when v the clip member 3'4 is lowered into operative engagement with the clasp member 30. V a

The operation of my improved fastener in both its forms is substantially as follows: When the shoe upper portions 8 and 9 have been drawn together over the tongue 12 by thelaces l3 and l l, looped ends 15 and 16 are formed with the respective lace ends which are then laid crosswise in the cut-ont portion ofthe lower clasp members in bowknot form as shown inFig. 2, the upper clip member having ,theretofore been swung up-. warclly to; its raised position. The clip member is then pressed downwardly into substantial parallelism withthe clasp member and also into locking engagement there with, whereby the looped ends 15 and 16 are, compressedland held fast without displacement in the slight opening between the twocut-out portions shown in Figs. 3 and 6. When it is desired to untie the shoelaces, the clip, member is swungupwardly from its locking engagement with the clasp member by the projecting lugs, and the laces ends are then released and readily removed from my, fastener device, It is obvious that,

my fastener also prevents the shoe tongue, to which it is aflixed, from slipping sidewise, and getting-out of its properposition beneath the;eyelets, and its smallness and simplicity preclude its ever becoming an inconvenience.

It will be understood that various modif fications of theinvention may be made in details of construction without departing from theprincipl'es disclosed in the two embodiments herein shown and described.

I claim as my 'inventioni 1. A fastener for compressible material comprising an elongated clasp member hav- Goiif s far this p'atnt be obtained for flve.,cents teach: by

Washington, D. 0.

furcated free endprovided with resilient flanges to yieldingly and frictionally engage with said upwardly projecting means on said clasp member to lock said members, said flanges having transverse cut-out portions formed 'midway between the ends to coact with said depression to form an opening between-said members whereby the compressible material is held when said members are in locking engagement.

2. A fastener for compressible material comprising an elongated clasp member having'upwardly projecting means at one end and provided with a transverse cut-out portion :in said projecting means midway in saidfmembcr to form a depression, and an elongated movable clip member hinged to one end of said clasp member having a bifurcated free end provided with dependent resilient flanges to yieldingly and frictionally engage with saidupwardly projecting means on said clasp member to lock said members in mutual parallelism, said flanges having transverse cut-out portions formed midway between the ends to coact with said depression to form an elongated opening between said members whereby the comprcssi-v ble material is held when said members are in locking engagement,

A shoe lace fastener comprising an elongated, clasp member having upwardly projectingmeans aiiixed to one .end and provided witha transverse cut-out portion to form a depression located midwaybetween the ends of said member, and an elongated movable clip'mcmber hinged at the opposite end ,ofisaid clasp member having a bifurcated free end provided with dependent resilient flangesto yieldingly and frictionally engage with said upwardly projecting means on said clasp member to lock said members when the latter are in substantial parallelism, said flanges having transverse cut-out portions formed midway between the endsto coact .with said depression to form an opening therebetween, whereby the shoe laces are held compressed when said members are. in looking en a gement.

FRANK J. KOHLI-IAAS.

4 3; \,H- ,i addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

